Run For One Planet Blog

 

 

We ran over the “10,000 big ones under feet” two days ago as we spent a long day running around Independence Oregon in anticipation of our meeting with another “local hero” Steven Ribeiro, owner of the World’s Greenest Building.

 

The day turned out to be my longest ever and ran (pardon the pun) from 7:15am until 8:30pm to total 39 miles. It was the culmination of a 5 days in a row push, Steph and I have been doing extra in order to facilitate more school bookings as we get closer to home. So we celebrated under dark skies, a huge 5 days of running and had met our target km’s of: 260 for me and 202 for Steph!!! She continues to be a running machine and completes each day with grit and determination!

 

The next morning we woke to sunny skies and a knock at the door from Independence’s Green Hero, Steven and his business partner Chuck. They went to our first of 2 presentations, Henry Hill and Independence Elementary Steven had set up for us and along the way, started explaining all the details of this 5 year in the designing, planning, financing and building to lay claim as world’s greenest.

 

We realize the marathon he and his partners have been doing just to get it zoned and financing in crazy economic times. Steven is a true testament to tenacity and belief in a dream with Independence Station. I will paste their website so as to give you the correct information and not my poor attempt at trying to explain all the detailed green technologies that are going to be the heart of this incredible work/live space.

http://www.worldsgreenestbuilding.com/

We were mouths agape as Steven took us on a hard hat tour filling our minds with “back to the future” type speak explaining everything from their virtual wine cellar and aquarium, to the wetland which will filter their water, the solar and cooling system, a slow food movement eatery and the actual condo units themselves which the developers hope will attract buyers who want to set the example for this way of green “the future is here” living!

 

We could have spent the whole day touring and hearing many more details of what will be the world’s greenest building when it opens it’s doors sometime next year! However, we had to say a heartfelt thanks and a see you when you open, to our Local Hero, Steven. He had booked us into our 3^rd school presentation and we were going to be late. So we promised to come back on opening day and sped off to present to another group of our pint-sized eco warriors at the Delphian School, here in Oregon!

 

Thanks so much Steven, for your belief in the right way to do things and for welcoming us in like (the tours theme) old friends!

 

4 weeks to go!

 

Run Forrest Run!